The Best of You
by FallenAngel218
Summary: An evening workout in the NCIS gym takes an unexpected turn for Tim and Ziva. Will the tryst throw the entire team into chaos? Written for the NFA "McRomeo Love Triangle" challenge.
1. Chapter 1

_**Title: The Best of You**_

_**Rating: FR-18 (for mild sex and foul language)**_

_**Summary: **__An evening workout in the NCIS gym takes an unexpected turn for Tim and Ziva. Will the tryst throw the entire team into chaos?_

_**Pairings: **__McGiva and Tiva (you can call it McTiva – but there's no threesome involved)._

_**Notes: **__Written for the "McRomeo Love Triangle" challenge. _

__**Chapter 1**

"Are you prepared for pain, McGee?" Ziva asked as she circled the wrestling mat in the NCIS gym. Tim was opposite her, ready to pounce. They'd been meeting weekly to work out together.

"Is that supposed to make me nervous?" he said with a sly grin.

"We shall see."

They lurched forward at each other. Ziva swept Tim's leg out from underneath him. He lost his balance and felt. She pinned him down flat on the mat.

"That was easier than I thought," Ziva said. Tim wrapped his legs around her waist and turned the tables, slamming her to the mat on her back.

"I've got moves," Tim said as he sat on top of her, holding her down. He locked eyes with her just then. The distraction of her beautiful eyes was just what Ziva needed, and she flattened him to the mat and pinned him.

"I win!" she said triumphantly, still straddling Tim. Suddenly she felt herself careening toward the mat. Seconds later, Tim was on top of her.

"You deserve a prize," he said, his voice suddenly filled with lust. Before he could lean down and kiss her, she grabbed hold of his T-shirt and pulled him down on top of her, crushing his lips against hers. Pants were shed as they rolled around on the wrestling mat, grunting ferally as the sexual tension between them was released. They only met in the NCIS gym once a week, and this was the first time the evening had ever ended like this.

Ziva collapsed on top of Tim as they finished, and tried to control her breathing. She kissed him one last time before sitting up and reaching for her pants. Tim did the same, and they cleaned up the exercise equipment and headed for separate showers.

Tony jogged down the stairs toward the NCIS gym. He'd decided it was time to lose some weight, and what better time to start than now. As he neared the door to the gym, he heard noise coming from within, and it didn't sound like the traditional sounds of exercise. Smirking, he peeked through the window, and dropped his bag in shock. Tim and Ziva were on the mat, in the throes of feral sex. Tony couldn't believe his eyes. He picked up his bag and turned away. He could feel his heart ripping in two as he turned and slowly walked away.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

_The next day…_

Tim arrived a few minutes late to the office. He was shocked to find Tony already at his desk, hard at work, for a wonder.

"Morning, Tony," he said jovially.

Tony only grunted in response.

_When did he turn into Gibbs? _Tim thought to himself as he sat down at his desk and powered on his computer for the day. The elevator dinged, and Ziva arrived. Tim glanced at her as he waited for his computer to boot up. Could it be possible for her to look any more gorgeous? He turned his attention back to his computer as an IM popped up on his screen.

_ : Put your eyes back in your head, McGee._

Tim looked up at Tony. Why was he being so defensive of Ziva all of the sudden. He wrote a message back.

_ : I'll ogle any woman I please. _

Tim suddenly heard a commotion at Tony's desk. He looked up in time to see Tony's pencil holder go flying from his desk, scattering pens and pencils all over the floor. Tim turned back to the instant message.

_Timothy,McGee: Are you feeling all right today?_

_Tony,DiNozzo: Not as good as you, I'm sure. _

Tim sat back in his chair, not sure what Tony meant by that. He quickly formulated a response and typed back.

_Timothy. McGee: I'm feeling fine, Tony. No better than usual._

_ : Sure you are. You were fine enough last night to fuck Ziva in the middle of the gym. Where are you guys going to do it next?_

Tim was about to type a response when Gibbs entered the squad room, cell phone in hand.

"Dead Sailor in Anacostia," he announced. "Gear up."

Tim closed the instant message and picked up his bag. Tony shoved him as they both tried to pass through the space between their desks. Tim stumbled and dropped his bag, the contents spilling onto the floor.

"Better me more careful, McGee," Tony said as he made his way to the elevator.

"That was rude, Tony," Ziva said, kneeling to help McGee pick up the contents of his backpack.

"Is anyone coming to the crime scene?" Gibbs asked sarcastically as he waited impatiently by the elevator.

"Just a second, Boss!" Tim called as he finished putting everything back in his bag. He zipped it snugly.

"You have ten seconds," Gibbs said. Tim just made it to the elevator in time. He didn't see the glare Tony was giving him from behind.

**NCISNCISNCISNCIS**

Tony was quiet the rest of the day. He reserved his voice only for when Gibbs asked him questions, and when asked to work with one of his teammates, did so silently. Gibbs noticed his behavior, but decided not to call him on it just yet. He decided he'd observe a while longer.

On the way back to NCIS, he put Tim and Tony in the front seat, and Ziva rode in the back. Tim sat awkwardly between Tony and Gibbs, looking angry and worried at the same time. Tony stared out the window glumly, not saying a word.

When they arrived at NCIS, Tony was the first one out of the truck. Gibbs put a hand on Tim's arm, stopping him from getting out behind Tony.

"Do you have anything you want to tell me, McGee?" Gibbs said.

"No, Boss."

"Why isn't DiNozzo speaking to either of you?" Gibbs asked.

"It's personal," Tim said quickly.

"Get it straightened out."

"Yes, Boss."

Gibbs let Tim's arm go, and he scrambled out of the truck and ran after Tony. He caught up with the SFA as he was walking toward Abby's lab.

"Tony! Wait up!" Tim said, running to catch up with him, He fell into step next to Tony and put a hand on his arm. "We need to talk—"

Tim was silenced when Tony punched him in the face. He went down in a heap, holding his face.

"How could you sleep with her? You know how I feel about her! You've known for years!"

"It didn't mean anything! I swear!" Tim shouted Tony yanked him to his feet and shoved him into the wall.

"How could you have sex with one of your best friends, and stand there and tell me it didn't mean anything!" Tony punched him again, drawing blood from the corner of his mouth.

"DiNozzo! Stand down" Gibbs' voice rang out as the team leader bolted down the hall toward them. Tim took the opportunity to take a swing at Tony, hitting him square in the jaw. Tony stumbled backward as Gibbs arrived. He grabbed DiNozzo by the arms to hold him back from going after Tim again.

"Someone better start talking."

**TBC…**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Previously…**_

"_Someone better start talking."_

___**Now…**_

Tim struggled to control his breathing as Gibbs pulled Tony away from him.

"Tony's insane!" he managed to get out in one breath.

"Me? _I'm _insane? How do you figure that, McBackstabber!"

"Does anyone want to tell me what the hell is going on here? Or do I need to start handing out suspensions?"

Tony remained silent, still fighting Gibbs' grip.

"If you keep fighting me your face will be on the floor, DiNozzo."

Tony calmed down a little, but Gibbs didn't let him go.

"Well, who's going to talk?" Gibbs demanded.

Tim lowered his eyes. Gibbs noticed this.

"McGee? You have something to say?"

Tim nodded.

"Spit it out!"

"Tony kind of… he walked in on me and Ziva… well, you know." Tim mentally head slapped himself for sounding like a stammering teenager.

"He's a fucking backstabbing bastard!" Tony shouted, thrashing against Gibbs' grip again. Gibbs shoved him into the wall and held him there.

"You're going to calm down in the next ten seconds, and then I'm going to let you go. If you try to hit McGee again, I'm going to suspend you without pay. Do you understand?"

"Yeah."

Gibbs stood there for a few seconds, then let Tony loose. Tony turned around, but refused to look at McGee. Gibbs, however, was furious.

"I'm not going to ask for details, McGee, and frankly I don't want them. I just want to know why."

"It was the heat of the moment, Boss. We both lost control. It was a one-time thing. No one was supposed to find out."

"You should have picked a better place than the gym," Tony spat angrily.

"You and Ziva—in the _gym?" _Gibbs asked in disbelief.

"On the wrestling mat," Tony added.

"Listen, I didn't mean for this to get so out of hand!" Tim shouted. "It was one time, and both of us decided it wouldn't happen again."

"Okay, enough," Gibbs said angrily. "McGee, I want you to go and see Ducky for a cold compress, then I want your ass back at your desk. DiNozzo, you're coming with me. No one says a word to Ziva or anyone else about what happened down here. I don't want this team turning into a soap opera. That's why Rule 12 is there. Are we all understood?"

"Yes, Boss," they said at the same time. Tim turned and headed toward the stairwell. When he was gone, Gibbs turned to his senior field agent.

"I ought to suspend your ass for what I just saw. You got damn lucky, do you understand that?"

"Yeah."

_Thwack!_

"Don't be a smart ass."

"Right, Boss."

"I'm benching you. I want you at your desk, going over a cold case file in the next 15 minutes. If I don't see you at your desk when I come upstairs, your ass is suspended. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Boss."

"Good. Get moving."

Tony stalked off toward the stairwell. Gibbs turned around and jammed a finger into the elevator call button. When it opened, he found Abby waiting for him.

"Where's my evidence?" she said, hands on her hips, as Gibbs stepped into the elevator. He mentally head slapped himself. After everything that had happened with McGee and DiNozzo, he'd forgotten to take the evidence out of the truck.

"You'll have it soon, Abbs." He kissed her on the cheek. She smiled and stepped from the elevator.

"I'll take your word for it, Gibbs."

The elevator closed, and he sighed in relief. If he'd let it slip to Abby, she's create more drama than a trashy soap opera over the whole thing. The elevator opened at Autopsy, bringing him back from his thoughts. He made his way into Autopsy, where McGee was sitting on one of the tables, being poked and prodded by Ducky.

"Do you have an explanation for the condition of Timothy's face?" Ducky asked him as soon as he walked in. "He refuses to tell me."

"Door hit him in the face," Gibbs said calmly.

"Right," Ducky said. "I'll be right back with a cold compress, Timothy."

Tim nodded and Ducky left the room. Gibbs turned to his youngest agent.

"You okay?"

"I'll be fine," Tim answered shortly. Ducky returned at that moment, and put a compress in Tim's hand.

"That should help with the swelling," he said. "Take ibuprofen for the pain. If it gets worse, come and see me straight away."

"I will, Thanks, Ducky."

"You're most welcome."

Tim jumped down and left Autopsy, holding the ice pack to his face. Gibbs followed him into the elevator. When the doors closed, Gibbs let the car move a bit before pulling the stop.

"We need to talk."

"I figured as much."

_Thwack!_

"Don't be a smart ass."

"Sor—yes, Boss."

"I don't approve of what happened between you and Ziva, but I'm not going to give you a lecture. You're both consenting adults and what's done is done. I don't want it to affect the way this team functions. You and Ziva work out whatever you need to."

"You're letting us break Rule 12?" Tim asked incredulously.

"I never said that, McGee. I don't want this crap being the scuttlebutt around here."

"Neither do I," He said, pressing the compress into his cheek again. Tim's eyes suddenly went wide in realization. "Abby is going to blab to the entire building! Boss, I can't let her see me like this!"

"You won't be going to the lab today, McGee. When we get upstairs, you're going home."

"But Boss-"

"Do you want it to be a day off or an official suspension, signed by Vance?"

Tim paled at the thought of having to explain all of this to Vance.

"I'll take the day," he said quickly.

"I thought you would. I don't want to see you until tomorrow morning, 0700."

"Yes, Boss."

The elevator was turned back on, and when it opened at the squad room level, they got off in silence. Gibbs sat down at his desk. DiNozzo was diligently working at his desk, silently. He diverted his eyes to McGee when the junior agent gathered his things and headed toward the main elevator. As Tim stepped onto the elevator, DiNozzo returned to his case file.

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

****"Ouch!"

"Will you sit still?" Sarah said to her brother as she stood over him at his computer desk, holding her powder compact. He called her the night before, and she ended up staying the night when it got really late.

"This is such a stupid idea," Tim said as Sarah brushed the makeup over his bruised cheek with a powder brush.

"I'm only doing this so your girlfriend doesn't find out what you did," Sarah said sternly.

"Abby's _not _my girlfiend," Tim retorted. "She just takes things really hard, and I don't want her to overthink this."

"What's to overthink? You slept with Ziva, knowing that Tony was into her. Isn't there some kind of man code that says you're not supposed to do things like that?"

"Whose side are you on, anyway?" Tim asked.

"I'm always on your side, big brother, you know that. I just happen to not agree with what you did." She stepped back to take a look at his face. "You'd never know there was a bruise there."

"Let me see." She handed him her makeup mirror and he looked at his face. "How did you do that? It's like I never got hit."

"It's tattoo makeup. My roommate uses it to cover up her tattoos before she goes to work."

"Wow. Thanks for doing this for me. I really appreciate it." He set down the mirror and pulled his sister into a hug.

"Anything for my big brother."

Tim looked at his watch.

"I have to go." He kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks for coming over, Sarah."

"No problem, bro. Just don't get killed at work, okay?"

"Don't worry," he said with a smile as he let himself out of the apartment.

**NCISNCISNCISNCIS**

The bullpen was quiet when Tim arrived at work. Tony was reading a case file, and Ziva was typing a report. Neither of his partners acknowledged him as he crossed the room and dropped his bag next to his desk. He looked around at his friends as his PC booted up. Tony was completely ignoring him. Ziva, however, averted her eyes to him every few seconds, as if she were watching him.

_I'd better talk to Ziva, or Sarah might be attending my funeral after all._

Tim was about to stand up when Gibbs came into the bullpen.

"Gear up. Dead petty officer in Rock Creek Park," he said as he picked up his own gear. The three of them silently grabbed their packs and followed Gibbs onto the elevator.

When they arrived at Rock Creek Park, Gibbs immediately assigned Tim to take photos, and Ziva to bag and tag. Tony was sent off to interview witnesses, much to Tim's relief. As he stooped to take a picture of the head wound on the body, he inadvertently came face to face with Ziva. He backed up a few paces, and took his photograph.

"Sorry about that," he offered casually. Ziva said nothing in return. She glared at him. He finished with his photos and helped her out with the bag and tag. They worked together silently and packed everything away in the truck. When Gibbs joined them, he ordered McGee to sit in the back, alone. He climbed in, relieved.

Tim sank into his desk chair with relief when they finally got back to the Navy Yard. Tony disappeared to Abby's lab with the evidence, and Gibbs went off on a coffee break. He was alone with Ziva for the moment. As he ran the required searches on the dead Petty Officer, he could feel Ziva glaring through him. He looked over at her, and visibly gulped. Ziva was twirling knife through her fingers.

_I need to get out of here…_

Tim took the opportunity of Gibbs' absence to escape to the Mens room. He took the last stall and locked himself in. He leaned against the wall and sighed with relief. He assessed his current predicament. Ziva knew something… he just needed to figure out _what _before she broke his legs – or worse.

He heard the door open, and footsteps on the tile near the sink. He remained still.

"_Did you hear about David and McGee?" _

"_I heard they had a wrestling match in the gym, if you know what I mean…"_

"_Who do you think won?"_

"_David, without a doubt."_

Tim cringed at the conversation he was hearing. Scuttlebutt was getting around about him and Ziva. It all clicked together for him now. Ziva probably heard the scuttlebutt.

_I'm not going to be able to have kids when she's done with me, _he thought as he heard the two Agents finish their business and leave the restroom. When he was sure he was alone again, he unlocked the stall and stuck his head out. He jumped a mile when he came face to face with Ziva, leaning against the wall. Spooked, Tim pulled his head back into the stall and locked the door.

"McGee! Come out of there, or I will break down the door!"

Tim slowly unlocked the door and opened the stall. He took a few steps out, and faced Ziva. She slapped him across the face.

"How could you tell everyone about what happened between us!"

"I didn't say a word, I swear!"

"You are lying! No one else knew we were down there, and _I _did not tell anyone!"

"I've got something to tell you about that, Ziva."

"What, McGee?"

"Tony saw us. He practically beat the crap out of me yesterday. Gibbs had to break us up."

"_Gibbs _knows about us?"

"It was either tell him or let Tony beat me to a pulp."

"All right, McGee, I am not mad at you for telling Gibbs, and I believe that you did not start a rumor."

"Thank you."

"I will kill Tony with my paperclip as soon as I see him," she said, turning to leave the Mens room. Tim ran to catch up with her.

"Whoa, Ziva! Let me talk to him first, before you kill him," Tim said.

"What if he tries to punch you again?" she asked.

"I don't know. I guess I fight back," Tim replied as he opened the bathroom door. Both of them stopped in their tracks. There were four male Agents crowded around the bathroom door, stooped in a listening position.

"Don't you idiots have anything better to do with your time?" Tim said angrily.

"What about _you, _Romeo," an Agent called Snyder remarked. "Do you and David spend all your time in the Mens room now?" Snyder laughed at his own comment. His friends joined in his laughter.

McGee was fuming. Without thinking, he brought his fist back to punch Snyder, but suddenly felt a strong grip holding him back.

"Stand down, McGee."

Tim whirled around to face Gibbs.

"I'm sorry, Boss, but he insulted Ziva, and—"

"I heard what he said, McGee." Gibbs stepped past McGee and pushed Snyder against the wall. "I don't want to see you near Agent McGee or Agent David again. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Agent Gibbs."

"Good. Get out of here."

Snyder scurried off to his office, and Gibbs turned to his Agents.

"Am I in trouble, Boss?"

"No."

"Good."

"How did Snyder find out about you two?"

"Neither of us have said anything, Boss. Tony is the only other person who knows."

_This is getting ridiculous, _Gibbs thought. _This needs to end. _

"If you two are done screwing around, can you get back to solving a murder?"

"On it, Boss."

"Yes, Gibbs."

Ziva and Tim left Gibbs alone in the corridor as they walked back to the squad room.

_When I find DiNozzo, I'm going to wring his neck…_

_**TBC**_


	4. Chapter 4

Tony looked up from his desk as Tim and Ziva silently returned to the squad room.

"Where have you two been?" he said with resentment.

"That is none of your business, Tony," Ziva said as she sat down at her desk.

"So what are you trying to tell me?" he spat back.

"She's telling you it's none of your business," Tim interjected.

"Shut up, McTraitor, no one was talking to you," Tony said angrily.

"Excuse me?" Tim said, rising from his seat. "What did you just call me?"

Tony made his way to Tim's desk, and got right up in his face.

"You heard me."

Tim shoved him, and Tony stumbled backward. Tony quickly recovered and reared his fist back to punch Tim.

"Tony! Stop!" Ziva shouted, sprinting across the room. She made it just in time to grab Tony's arm and wrench it behind his back. Tony was able to get the upper hand, and shoved her backward. Ziva lost her balance and fell into Tim's desk, smacking her head. She dropped to the floor, unconscious.

"Ziva!" Tim shouted, shoving past Tony. He dropped to his knees at her side. "Call an ambulance, Tony!" he shouted as he examined the wound. He looked up at his partner, who was standing there, in shock. "Tony!"

"What have I done?" Tony said, almost at a whisper.

"Call a damn ambulance!" Tim shouted. Tony still didn't move. Tim shook his head. Tony was useless at this point. Suddenly, he felt Ziva's hand gripping his arm.

"Ziva!" Tim said, relief washing over his face. "How do you feel?"

"Dizzy."

"Stay there. I'm calling Ducky." As McGee took out his phone, Gibbs rounded the corner and entered the squad room. Upon seeing Tim and Ziva on the floor, and Tony standing over them, it didn't take long to deduce what had just happened.

"What the hell happened!" Gibbs said angrily. McGee looked up at him.

"When Ziva and I came back, Tony made a few rude comments about where we'd been. Ziva told him it was none of his business. He insulted her, and I stepped in to defend her. When he called me a traitor, I got angry and shoved him. Ziva was trying to keep him from punching me, and he shoved her backward. She lost her balance and fell into my desk. It was a complete accident, Boss."

"What happened here was no accident, McGee." Gibbs turned to Tony, who was still standing there in shock. "DiNozzo, I want you to go to Conference room A and wait for me there."

Tony nodded and walked off toward the conference room. Ducky had come up at this point, and was examining Ziva.

"She needs to go to the hospital, Jethro."

"Okay. Do you think Palmer could take her, Ducky?"

"Absolutely. I shall tag along as well."

"No, don't. You might be needed here. Vance doesn't know—"

"Vance doesn't know what?"

All heads turned to see Director Vance standing in the middle of the squad room.

"Well?"

"Leon, let's talk about this in conference room A. DiNozzo is waiting there for me."

"Gladly."

"McGee, you're coming too."

Tim nodded and got to his feet.

"I'll call Mr. Palmer," Ducky said as he helped Ziva to sit up. They watched the three of them leave the bullpen. Ducky silently wondered if this would be the end of Team Gibbs.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tony looked up when the conference room door opened. His heart sank when the Director followed Gibbs and McGee into the conference room. Gibbs pointed to an empty chair on the other side of the table, and McGee took it. Vance sat next to him, and Gibbs next to Tony.

"How's Ziva?" Tony asked immediately.

"She's conscious," Gibbs told him. "Palmer is bringing her to the hospital."

"Good."

"I'd like to know exactly how things are so out of control with this team, that people are throwing punches in my squad room," Vance said firmly. "I want Agent McGee to tell me."

"Tony walked in on Ziva and I—well—um—"

"I get it, Agent McGee. Continue."

"He was angry. He let it fester until we got back from the crime scene yesterday. We had an altercation in the hallway near Abby's lab. Tony punched me in the face. Agent Gibbs broke us up."

"Agent Gibbs, why didn't you report this to me?"

"I handled it, Leon."

"Apparently not. Continue, Agent McGee."

"Things have been tense around here since the fight. Ziva and I had to have a private conversation when some other Agents found out about what happened. When we got back to the squad room, Tony accused us of having, um, relations, again, and—"

"What, Agent McGee?"

"He called me a traitor. I got angry, and I shoved him. He tried to hit me, and Ziva tried to stop him. He pushed her backward, and she hit her head on my desk."

"Okay, I've heard enough." Vance turned to Tony. "Agent DiNozzo, your behavior is unacceptable. Effective immediately, you are suspended without pay until further notice."

Tony could only nod his understanding.

"Gibbs, I'm pulling your case and giving it to Agent Balboa's team. You're assigned to cold cases." He looked at McGee last. "McGee, I'm sending you down to Cyber Crimes until further notice."

"You can't do that, Leon!" Gibbs shouted.

"It's already done, Gibbs. You don't have a say anymore." He turned back to Tony and Tim. "You're both extremely lucky I didn't fire anyone on the spot. Agent DiNozzo, turn your badge and gun in to Agent Gibbs before you leave. Agent McGee, clear your desk immediately and report to Agent Roper in Cyber Crimes."

"Yes, sir."

"Yes, Director."

"You two are dismissed. Gibbs, I need to talk to you."

Gibbs stayed seated as his agents left. Tony left his badge and gun behind on the conference room table. When they were gone, Vance turned to Gibbs.

"I'm not doing this to punish you, Gibbs."

"You took away my team, Leon. I'm not supposed to be upset about this?" Gibbs said, rising from his seat.

"They're not gone forever, Jethro. They're just, separated for a while. You'll still have Agent David, when she's fit to return."

Gibbs set his jaw and stood silently.

"Give them time apart. Everyone needs to cool off and come to their senses. Time will tell if they'll be able to work again."

Gibbs nodded and left the conference room.

**TBC…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

****Gibbs sat at his desk, holding Tony's badge in his hand. A case file sat open on his desk in front of him, but he couldn't concentrate on it. How had he let things get so out of control? Should he have gone to Vance after the first fight? Should he have suspended DiNozzo after what he'd seen him do to McGee? There were a lot of "should have "questions running through his mind.

Vance hadn't suggested a replacement team. He knew better than to lay that kind of thing on Gibbs. Having to make do without a team was punishment enough. Knowing that everyone on his team was hurting was an entirely different matter.

He closed the file and got up from his desk, and headed to the back elevator. He took it down to Autopsy. He found Ducky in the midst of a phone conversation. As Gibbs entered Autopsy, Ducky was hanging up the phone.

"I expected you down here soon enough, Jethro."

"DiNozzo is on suspension and McGee is down in Cyber Crimes."

"Oh, dear."

"Did I do something wrong here, Ducky? How did I let this happen?"

"If you want my advice, you need to fill me on exactly what 'this' is," Ducky chided.

Gibbs told him what had transpired over the past 24 hours.

"So _that _explains why Timothy came to me with a bruised face."

"Yeah."

"It sounds like your team needs a break from each other. I think Director Vance took the appropriate action."

"What am I supposed to do with no team?" Gibbs said in frustration.

"You could learn something, Jethro. You aren't immune to it."

Gibbs remained silent. Ducky was right. He needed to learn how to function alone again. He'd done it before he recruited DiNozzo… how hard could it be? Without another word, he turned and left Autopsy. He needed to think.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

"It's good to have you down here again, Agent McGee," Roper said as he and Tim walked through Cyber Crimes. Tim saw his old desk looming ahead. They eventually stopped at it. "Well, here's your desk, just as you left it."

"No one else used it?"

"We never had a reason to fill that space," Roper said. "IM me when you're settled in, and we can get you moving on some decryption work."

_Decrypting files… yay._

Tim plastered a smile on his face.

"Will do."

Roper left him alone, and he set his box down on the desk. He couldn't be further away from civilization than he was at that moment. His desk was in the back corner of the room.

As he unpacked, he thought about the past 24 hours. He knew that his actions had caused this whole debacle, but he couldn't help wondering what the big deal was. He and Ziva both agreed that the sex had happened in the heat of the moment. Neither of them regretted it, or had expected it to evolve into anything further than recreational sex. While he hadn't intended for Tony to find out, he was glad it was out in the open. Any hopes that Tony _wouldn't _freak out were blown out of the water.

"McGee! I need you on this file ASAP!" Roper yelled across the room, bringing Tim back from his thoughts. He abandoned his box and headed to Roper's office for his assignment.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tony stormed into his apartment and slammed the door behind him. He'd held back his anger until he left NCIS, and all the way home. It was all coming out in one burst now. He threw his keys at the end table, hitting a lamp and knocking it to the floor.

"Damn it!" he cursed, walking over to pick up the lamp. On his way there, he stubbed his toe on the coffee table. Anger surged through him again, and he flipped the coffee table, sending everything on it flying across the room. The anger didn't stop, and Tony didn't stop trashing his apartment. He threw pillows from his couch across the room. He smashed a vase of flowers his neighbor had dropped off a few days prior. He knocked pictures off the walls and smashed them into pieces. He was near his piano, about to put his fist through another picture, when something made him stop and look at the picture.

It was a picture of him and Ziva.

He could feel himself suddenly coming down from his fit of anger. His body started to shake, and he found himself sliding down the wall next to the piano. A sudden burst of emotion overwhelmed him, and he buried his face into his knees and started to cry.

Tony was able to regain his composure after fifteen minutes. He pushed himself to his feet and looked around his apartment. The place was a holy mess. Had he really done all of this?

_I can't be here alone right now. I need to get out of here._

Tony found his keys in the mess that was his living room, and quickly left his apartment.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Gibbs held the small toy train in his hand as he ran the sandpaper over it. He'd been working on the toys he would donate for Christmas, and this train set was going to be his masterpiece. He carefully ran the paper over it, giving it the attention it deserved. Next to him on the workbench, his glass of bourbon remained untouched.

The creaking of floorboards above him alerted him to a visitor. Seconds later, the basement door opened. The footsteps stopped.

"You gonna come down, DiNozzo?"

Tony came down the stairs and sat down on the bottom step. Gibbs emptied a mason jar filled with nails, and wiped it out with his shirt. He poured a bit of bourbon into it and set it down on the workbench.

"Not gonna wait on you."

Tony got up and joined him at the workbench. He picked up the jar and took a sip, letting the liquor burn his throat.

"What's going on with you?" Gibbs asked, picking up his sandpaper to resume his project.

"I never meant for Ziva to get hurt."

"That's not what I asked."

Tony took another swig of bourbon.

"I'm not myself anymore. I'm not sure what's happening to me, Boss." Tony fell onto the stool behind him. "I trashed my apartment."

Gibbs set down the sandpaper and turned to his Senior Agent.

"Say again?"

"I was angry. I slammed the door and threw my keys. I broke a lamp. From there, it was blind rage. I don't even remember doing it. I—" He downed the rest of his bourbon in one drink. "I think I need help."

Gibbs didn't say anything for a while. While he was still royally pissed at Tony for the trouble he'd caused, he also respected him for admitting that he had a problem.

"I'm not happy with your behavior over the past two days."

Tony looked down at his empty glass.

"I know."

"Vance let you off easy. I was very close to firing you, Tony."

"You wouldn't…"

"Why shouldn't I?" Gibbs said angrily. "Give me one good reason you shouldn't have been fired!"

Tony kept his eyes on the glass in his hands.

"I don't have one. I wish I did, but I don't have one, Boss. I-I'm sorry."

Gibbs took in the man sitting in front of him. He looked defeated, and guilty as hell.

"Are you willing to get help with your anger problems?"

"Yes."

"Look at _me_, DiNozzo, not the floor."

Tony brought his head up to meet Gibbs' eyes.

"Yes. I want to get help."

**TBC…**


	6. Chapter 6

Ziva sat on the edge of her hospital bed, brushing out her hair. Ducky had brought her emergency bag from NCIS, so she would have something to put on upon her release. Thankfully, she hadn't hit her head that hard, but the doctor insisted she stay overnight for observation. Satisfied that she would be all right, the Doctor signed her release paperwork that afternoon.

As she turned to put away her brush, Jimmy appeared at the door to her room.

"Hi Ziva," he said quietly. "Are you ready to go?"

She nodded and got off the bed. Jimmy watched as she quietly zipped up her bag and put on her shoes. She walked past him out of the room without a word.

Jimmy followed her out and jogged to catch up to her.

"I'm really glad you're okay, Ziva. I was really scared for you."

Ziva remained quiet. She knew Jimmy was trying to be nice, but she couldn't get the humiliation out of her mind. How would she be treated at NCIS, now that the scuttlebutt had gotten around about her tryst with McGee? Would anyone have respect for her anymore?

"Ziva,"

She came out of her daze, only to realize she was in the elevator, and Jimmy was holding the door open for her. They were at the parking garage level. She stepped out and they walked to the car in silence.

**~*~*~*~**

Ziva remained quiet for much of the drive to her apartment. Jimmy was getting uncomfortable after 15 minutes of silence. He decided right then that he could share something with her that he never told anyone.

"Ziva, do you remember Agent Lee?"

"The Agent from Legal who was killed?"

"Yeah. That's her. That year she was on Gibbs' team, I was sleeping with her."

"Why are you telling me about your sex life?" Ziva snapped. She instantly regretted it. "I am sorry."

"It's okay. The reason I brought it up, was because we used to find places around NCIS to do it. Sometimes we'd go to my place, but she liked the danger of doing it at NCIS. Autopsy was a favorite location, if I recall correctly."

Ziva looked at him in shock.

"How did you manage that without Ducky finding out?" Ziva asked him.

"We hid in the Autopsy closet a lot of times. When Gibbs found out that Agent Lee was the mole, I had to come clean. I had to stand there in Autopsy and tell Dr. Mallard, Agent Gibbs and Director Vance _everything._ I don't think I've ever been as humiliated as I was right then. It took a long time for Dr. Mallard to find any level of respect for me as a professional."

Ziva was silent for a moment.

"I never knew any of this, Jimmy."

"No one really knows except for who I had to tell… and Tony."

"I'm surprised Tony didn't spread it around the building, like he did with me and McGee," she said bitterly as they pulled up in front of her apartment building. Jimmy turned off the car and looked at her.

"I had a chance to get to know Tony while he was in charge, back when Agent Gibbs was gone. He's not the kind of person who would spread a rumor around, especially to spite someone. When he found out about me and Lee, he gave me his word that he would not say anything. He's kept his promise. I never heard a word about it again. Before you throw him under the bus, you should talk to him."

Ziva sat dumbstruck. Did Jimmy Palmer just yell at her? She looked right at Jimmy, into his eyes.  
There was a fire there she'd never seen before.

"You are a good friend, Jimmy. Thank you very much for your good advice, and for the ride home."

She kissed him on the cheek.

Anytime, Ziva. See you tomorrow?"

"That is the plan," she said, getting out of the car and shutting the door. "Good night."  
Jimmy watched her go inside, then headed home for the night.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

_The next morning…_

Tim arrived at his desk to find a pile of folders in his "in" tray. He groaned in frustration and sat down to power on the computer. It had taken him all day to empty his bin the day before.

_Good thing I got here early… I never has this much paperwork when I was on Gibbs' team._

As he reached for his first case file, a cup of coffee was set on his desk. He looked up to find Ziva standing over his desk. He guessed that Gibbs probably told her where to find him.

"Hey," he said, rising from his chair to greet her. "How are you feeling?"

"I will be all right."

"Listen, I'm really sorry—"

"It is not your fault," she said quickly. "We are both to blame for our current situation."

"It wasn't the smartest thing we've ever done, was it?" he said with a small smile. "I don't regret it, though."

"Neither do I."

"How do we fix this?" Tim asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I am not sure we can."

Tim fell into his chair.

"I really hope you're wrong."

Ziva looked at her watch.

"I have to go. Gibbs will want to know where I've gone."

"Okay. Thanks for the coffee," he said with a smile.

"You are welcome." Ziva smiled and left.

Tim took a gulp of coffee as he opened up his first case file of the day. He had a feeling that the ordeal was far from over, but for now, he could do his job, and let Ziva do hers.

As he turned to his computer to pull up a half-decrypted file, a familiar voice called from across the room.

"Hey, McRomeo!"

Tim looked up to see Sid Snyder, the Agent who'd insulted him the day before, walking toward him.

"What do you want, Sid?" he asked, not bothering to look up from his paperwork.

"I saw your girlfriend leaving. Trouble in paradise?"

Tim stood up so he was at eye level with Sid.

"Snyder, I'm going to ask you only once to back off. I didn't ask for your opinion, and I frankly don't care. Let it go."

Tim sat down and turned toward his computer.

"Why you—"

"Snyder! What the hell are you doing!" Agent Roper said, making his way to the back of the room. "Get your ass back to work, right now!"

Snyder stalked away from Tim's desk, and Roper approached.

"Everything all right, McGee?"

"Yes, sir. Never better," Tim replied, not taking his eyes from the screen.

"Keep it that way. Agent Gibbs isn't the only one that can hand out suspensions."

"Yes, sir."

Roper walked away, and Tim let out a relieved breath. He glanced up at Snyder's desk. He was arguing with Agent Roper. Snyder was going to cause more trouble than he thought.

**TBC…**


	7. Chapter 7

Tony stood nervously outside of Dr. Cranston's office. He was beginning to regret telling Gibbs he needed help. He'd slept at Gibbs' house that night, and by the time he finished his coffee the next morning, Gibbs had made him an appointment with Dr. Cranston. He'd been re-thinking it over the past couple of days. Gibbs was onto him, and confined Tony to his house for two days, and even drove him to Rachel's office.

He raised his hand to knock, but quickly lost his nerve and turned to leave. He didn't make it two steps before the door opened.

"Tony, come in. I've been expecting you."

Tony turned around, smile plastered on his face.

"Great."

He stepped into the office, and Rachel closed the door behind him.

"Have a seat."

Tony sat on the couch. Rachel pulled up a chair and sat across from him.

"Agent Gibbs made this appointment for you. He's filled me in on what's happened recently at work."

Tony laughed bitterly, and looked away.

"It's been reported that you have bursts of destructive rage, especially at work. According to Agent Gibbs, you punched a co-worker, and gave another one a concussion."

"Stop it," Tony said, starting to feel uncomfortable.

"I understand your apartment is in ruins. Do you want to talk about how that happened?"

"No, I don't."

Rachel leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows on her knees.

"Tony, you came to me because you wanted to get help. Deflecting all of my questions will not benefit you at all."

"I'm not deflecting anything!" Tony insisted angrily.

"Calm down, Tony."

"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down!" He jumped up and started pacing. "My two best friends hate my guts, and I have no job. How is that supposed to make me calm down!"

"_Why_ did all of that happen, Tony?" Rachel asked.

Tony stopped pacing and turned to face her.

"I punched McGee in the face for sleeping with Ziva behind my back, and then I pushed Ziva into a desk when she tried to stop me from hitting McGee again! Is that what you want to hear?"

"It's the truth. What were you thinking when you hit Agent McGee?"

"I was just angry," he said, his voice calming a bit. "It came out of nowhere. I could feel the rage boiling. When he said it didn't mean anything - I lost it. If Gibbs hadn't intervened - I'm not sure what would have happened."

"Were you angry enough to kill Agent McGee?"

Tony fell into a chair next to Rachel.

"My God, I don't know. I probably could have."

"Tell me about Ziva's accident."

"I was a being a jackass when they got back to squad room from wherever they were," he admitted. "I called Tim a traitor."

"In what sense is he a traitor?" Rachel asked.

"I felt like he betrayed our friendship by sleeping with Ziva."

"What happened next, after you called him a traitor?"

"He got in my face. I challenged him, and he shoved me. I-I lost it again. I was going to hit him, hard. Ziva tried to stop me. When she grabbed my arm, I shoved her off of me. The next thing I know, she was on the ground, and not moving."

Rachel wrote down a few notes in the steno pad on her lap.

"Can you see the behavior pattern in these two incidents?"

Tony nodded.

"I let rage take over, and people got hurt." Tony lowered his eyes. "I screwed up."

"I'd like to work with you on this, Tony. Are you willing to let me help you?"

He nodded silently.

"Coming here was a huge step, Tony. A lot of people with anger management issues are too stubborn to admit there's a problem. Admitting it and committing to getting help is a step in the right direction."

Nod.

"We'll meet twice a week to talk one-on one, but I also think you'd benefit from group therapy."

"No way," Tony said, rising from his seat. "I'm not talking to complete strangers."

"I'm going to recommend group therapy in my report to your Director. If you want to go back to NCIS, you are going to need to get comfortable with talking about your issues to other people. You can't hold everything in, Tony. It isn't healthy."

"Gibbs does it," Tony said.

Rachel stood up and went to Tony's side. She put a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her.

"You aren't Gibbs. You're Tony DiNozzo, and you can beat this."

"I don't want to be angry anymore, Rachel."

Tony's voice was almost childlike. She smiled and squeezed his hand. She reached into her pocket with the other and produced a business card.

"My group meets on Tuesday nights at 7:00." She handed him the card. "We can have our individual sessions on Mondays. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan," Tony said, smiling genuinely for the first time that evening.

"Be here tomorrow, 7:00 sharp."

"Yes Ma'am," Tony said jokingly. "Thanks."

"That's what I'm here for."

Tony put on his coat and left Dr. Cranston's office.

**NCISNCISNCISNCIS**

Gibbs was waiting for him with the motor running when Tony reached the parking lot. He got into the passenger seat.

"How did it go?"

"She recommended individual and group therapy."

"And you're going, right?"

"Yeah, I'm going. You have my word on that, Boss."

"I'm going to keep tabs with Dr. Cranston. If I find out you missed even _one_ session -"

"I won't."

"Okay." Gibbs backed out of the parking space and pulled out into the road. "I'll take you home."

Tony winced. He hadn't been back to his place since the breakdown. Gibbs noticed his hesitation.

"What's wrong?"

"My place… it's still…"

"A disaster area?"

"Don't sugar coat it or anything."

"Would it help if I came up and helped you clean it up?"

"You would do that for me?"

"Never leave a man behind, DiNozzo."

Tony smiled,

"Thanks, Boss."

***~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Gibbs accompanied Tony to his apartment when they arrived twenty minutes later. Tony had said it was bad, but Gibbs wasn't prepared for what he saw when Tony opened the door. The coffee table was overturned, and there was glass everywhere from broken bottles and pictures. A lamp that used to be on the side table was in pieces on the floor. To say the room was trashed was putting it lightly.

"I know what you're thinking, Boss. It's pretty bad."

"Bad doesn't even begin to describe this mess, Tony."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Let's get started."

Tony went into the kitchen and came back with a broom and dustpan, and the garbage can. He started to sweep up the glass, while Gibbs righted the coffee table and arranged the pillows on the couch. He picked up what was left of a flower bouquet, and went into the kitchen to put them in water. When Gibbs returned, Tony was about halfway done with the sweeping. Gibbs helped him by picking up picture frames, and inside of a half-hour, the place was clean again.

"I have to get new picture frames," he said, setting the last of the pictures on the coffee table. He turned to Gibbs, who was putting on his coat. "I appreciate your help, Boss."

"I've always got your six, Tony. Don't forget that."

Tony nodded.

"Get some sleep, and go to your group therapy tomorrow."

"I will. Good night."

Gibbs nodded and left. Tony put away the broom and retreated into his bedroom. He stripped to boxers and T-shirt, and climbed into bed.

**TBC...**


	8. Chapter 8

_The Next Day, 1400 hours ..._

Ziva sat at her desk, twirling her pocket knife between her fingers. She couldn't concentrate on the case file open on her computer at the moment. The only thing on her mind was Jimmy's story. While he had done something similar to what she and Tim had done, he hadn't had to deal with vicious scuttlebutt around the office.

People had been dropping Ziva looks all day as they passed by her desk. She'd been able to ignore it at first, but as the hours passed, and more people looked at her, she started to feel like an ant under a magnifying glass. It was humiliating.

Her ringing desk phone brought her out of her thoughts, and she reached to answer.

"Agent David."

_"Ziva…_

"Tony?" she whispered into the phone. "You should not be calling here."

_"Can we talk?"_

"Now is not a good time," she said, darting her eyes around the squad room.

_"Please… I just need a minute…"_

Ziva could hear the desperation in Tony's voice. There was no way she could hang up that phone.

"Okay."

_"Ziva… I know it won't erase my actions, but I'm so sorry for what happened. I never meant to hurt you."_

"But you meant to hurt McGee, did you not?"

Tony didn't say anything for a moment. Ziva thought he'd hung up.

_"Yes."_

Ziva didn't think she'd ever heard so much remorse in such a small word.

"Have you spoken to McGee?"

_"He won't return my calls."_

"None of us are completely innocent here, Tony. I have admitted it, and so has McGee. I do not think that apologizing to each other will solve the problem. Not this time."

_"I don't want to lose you, Ziva. I don't want to lose McGee, either. I just want to fix this."_

Ziva suddenly felt as if she weren't alone anymore, and looked up. Gibbs was looming over her desk, glaring.

"I have to go. Gibbs is back from his coffee break. We shall talk later. I promise."

_Okay."_

"Have faith, Tony."

With that, Ziva hung up, and met Gibbs' stare.

"Did you enjoy your coffee break?" she asked.

Gibbs didn't say anything. He simply stood there, glaring.

"What did Tony say?" he finally asked.

"He apologized, and he wants to make amends."

"But…" Gibbs said, sensing there was something else on her mind.

"I am not sure it is time yet. Tony, McGee and I… we are a team, thirds of a whole. We need each other. Right now, we do not fit together, and we all need mending."

Gibbs didn't have a response for that. He couldn't have put it better himself. He smiled and moved on to his own desk. When he got there, he stopped and turned around. Ziva had gone back to her cold case. He instinctively looked around the bullpen, and his heart sank a little as he took in the empty desks. He knew it would be a long time before all three desks were filled again.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

When Tim came back from lunch, all of Cyber Crimes was completely silent. While this office was by far quieter than the squad room, there was still some level of noise. When he heard nothing but fingers tapping keyboards, he started to worry.

He made his way back to his desk and sat down. He typed in the password to his lock screen, and looked away for a second as Windows loaded his desktop. When he turned back, he almost choked on his coffee. His background had been changed. Someone had gotten a hold of one of Ziva's bikini pictures (Tim had pilfered them from Tony, to stop him from ogling her… and never deleted them…) and not only made it his background, but created a meme out of it, by adding a phrase to the picture.

_Reads on the job and fucks in the NCIS gym after hours… your federal tax dollars at work, America…_

Tim was fuming. He saved a copy of the picture to his folder and quickly changed his background to something else. He e-mailed it to Roper, with a note that he'd be in his office in 30 seconds. He locked his computer and stormed over to Roper's office.

"McGee, is this e-mail some kind of joke?" Roper said angrily as Tim came in and closed the door behind him.

"It is to whoever made that meme. That picture was private. Someone hacked into my computer and stole it. That was set as my computer background when I logged in after lunch, and I did not do it."

"All right, calm down, McGee. I'll find out who did this. Something like this is _not_acceptable at this agency."

"Thank you, sir."

"For now, just go back to your desk and act like nothing happened. If whoever it is works in this department, don't let on to them that this is bothering you. It will make them want to do more to get a rise out of you."

Tim nodded, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

"I can do that."

"Good man. Now back to work."

"Yes, Sir."

Tim left Roper's office and went back to his desk. He was still fuming, but he didn't let it show outwardly. He sat down and got back to the file he was decrypting. As the code whizzed by, an IM popped up on his screen, interrupting his reading. His eyes went wide as he read it.

_Go to Roper again and I'll ruin you, McGee…all the encryption in the world won't save your computer from me._

The IM was anonymous. A shiver ran up Tim's spine. Whoever sent this was clearly not joking. He had to do something before this person hurt him, or someone else.

**TBC…**


	9. Chapter 9

_That Evening… _

Tony's ride dropped him at Dr. Cranston's office right at 7:00 that evening. The secretary looked up as Tony came in out of the cold October air.

"Agent DiNozzo, it's good to see you again," she said with a smile. In her late forties, she had short-cropped brown hair, and wore black-rimmed glasses, hiding brown eyes that Tony found were very pretty. He flashed his best DiNozzo smile.

"It's nice to see you too, Sally."

"Dr. Cranston is about to begin. Go on back. We'll take care of your paperwork after group."

"Thanks."

He slipped through the door and headed down the corridor to Rachel's office. As he approached, he could hear her talking. He knew he'd be in trouble for being late. He took a deep breath and gently pushed the door open. There was a group of four people seated in a circle. Rachel, who was seated in a chair facing the door, stopped talking and looked up at him.

"You're late."

"Traffic," he said simply.

"Well come in, Tony, don't lurk in the doorway."

Tony shuffled in and took the empty seat next to a young woman who looked to be about twenty. She sat with her legs crossed, and arms crossed in front of her. The look on her face told Tony that she didn't want to be there.

"All right," Rachel said, bringing Tony back from his musings. "Now that we're all here, let's get started." Rachel opened a folder on her lap and produced a stack of worksheets. She handed them to a man on her right. "Take one and pass it around. Add this to your journals."

Tony took the paper when it came to him. The top of the sheet was labeled simply "Journal Entry," and left a space for the date of entry. Below it, there were blank lines.

"How was everyone's week?" Rachel asked the group. No one spoke up right away. A few people nodded, and one person scoffed and turned his gaze away from Rachel. She honed in on him.

"Shawn, would you like to share first?"

Shawn looked a little worse for the wear. He was wearing jeans and a blue flannel shirt. He looked to be in his mid-fifties. He also appeared to have not slept well in quite some time.

"I don't have anything to share."

"So you didn't get angry once, all week?" Rachel said.

Shawn didn't respond. Rachel moved on.

"Tony, would you like to share?"

Tony shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"Not really."

"Okay, how about you tell us a little about yourself."

Tony looked around the circle. Everyone was looking at him.

God, this is awkward.

"I'm Tony, and um, I'm in law enforcement. I'm here-" He stopped and looked at Rachel. "I can't do this."

"It's all right, you can stop if you want."

Rachel studied Tony. He looked relieved to be finished talking.

"The topic for today is Cognitive Restructuring, or changing the way we think. A lot of times, anger can cause our thoughts to be overdramatic and exaggerated. What are some things we can do to stop irrational thoughts?"

Again, no one said anything.

"Okay, what if, for example, my sister borrowed my favorite earrings, and returned them broken. What would my reaction be?"

The girl next to Tony looked up.

"You'd be really pissed," she said.

"Yes, Lindsey, I would be very upset. How should I approach the situation? Should I flip out? Yell at my sister? Scream?"

"It's a broken earring. It's not the end of the world," Shawn piped up from across the room. "Get new earrings."

"Yeah, but what if they're expensive earrings?" Lindsey countered.

"Then make the sister replace them," Shawn said.

"Should I make my sister replace them?" Rachel interjected. "Suppose I go up to my sister and I tell her I hate her because she broke my favorite earrings, and I'm not going to speak to her until she replaces them?"

"That's completely ridiculous," Tony said.

"Why is that, Tony?"

"They're only earrings. They're replaceable. It's not worth pushing your sister out of your life."

"So my sister should replace the earrings, but I should not let myself get angry over it. Do I have it right?" Rachel asked the group.

"Exactly," Tony said.

Rachel smiled. She knew she'd get him to open up one way or another.

The conversation continued for another 45 minutes, and Rachel dismissed them. Tony hung around until everyone was gone.

"You pulled that example out on purpose, didn't you?" he said to Rachel.

"Maybe I did," she said with a smile. God, she looks like Kate when she smiles, Tony thought. "It got you to open up in group, didn't it?"

"I guess it did," he admitted. "I still feel awkward about this group. Everyone seems so…"

"Angry?"

Tony chuckled.

"Yeah."

"Everyone is here for different reasons, Tony. Most of the time, my groups are filled with people mandated to be here by the court. It's rare that I get someone to come here of their own free will - as you did."

"Gibbs helped a little," he said.

"You came here on your own, and you asked me for help. Most people can't admit they have a problem, and the only thing it does is dig a bigger hole for them to fall into."

"Like Shawn?"

"I can't talk about other patients, but yes, Shawn is a good example."

Tony's cell vibrated with a text message. He was shocked to see that it was Gibbs.

"I have to go. Gibbs is downstairs."

"He's texting now, huh?" Rachel asked.

"Wonders never cease," Tony joked. "Thanks."

"See you on Monday."

Tony smiled and hurried out of the office.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Gibbs was waiting in the car by the front door when Tony stepped outside. He pulled his jacket up to shield himself from the pouring rain as he jogged to the car and got in.

"How'd it go?" Gibbs asked immediately.

"Better than I thought," Tony admitted.

Gibbs pulled away from the curb.

"Vance wants to meet with you."

"When?"

"Tomorrow morning, 0900."

"I'll be there."

"Good."

There was silence for a few more minutes. Gibbs took the highway toward Tony's apartment building.

"Have you talked to McGee yet?" Gibbs asked.

"I've tried calling him. He won't talk to me."

"And Ziva?"

"You know the answer to that."

They lapsed into silence again. It was Tony who broke it a few minutes later.

"How is Tim?" he asked.

"He spends all his time in Cyber Crimes. I don't get to see him much."

"Oh."

Gibbs pulled up in front of Tony's apartment building.

"Why don't you ask him to get lunch with you tomorrow?"

Tony grinned.

"I'll be in the building, after all. It's brilliant."

"Just make sure he comes back in one piece."

"Absolutely."

Tony got out of the car and headed into his apartment building, and Gibbs drove away.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tony fidgeted nervously as he rode the elevator up to Vance's office. It had been almost a week since he'd been suspended. He hadn't expected Vance to call him in so soon.

The elevator dinged, and opened at the squad room level. Gibbs stepped in, and it closed. They rode in silence up to Vance's office.

The secretary waved them in as soon as they walked into the outer office, and Tony followed his Boss into Vance's office.

"Agent DiNozzo," Vance said, rising from his chair. "Please, have a seat."

Tony sat down without a word. Gibbs remained standing, behind his chair.

"You've been on suspension for five days. I've called you in here to discuss where we should go from this point."

"Yes, sir."

"I've been informed by Dr. Cranston that you are seeing her for your anger management issues."

"Yes, sir."

"I also understand you are attending group therapy?"

"It was Dr. Cranston's suggestion."

"And you intend to follow through with the entire course?"

"Yes, sir."

Vance sat down at his desk. He was silent for what seemed like forever. Finally, he looked up at Tony.

"Here's my offer, Agent DiNozzo. If you complete the anger management course, and continue to see Dr. Cranston on a regular basis, I'll let you come back to work. I will expect weekly reports on your progress from Dr. Cranston."

"Yes, Sir."

"All right. You can come back tomorrow. You're confined to desk duty, and I'm placing you on probation for a period of six months. If you slip up just once, I won't be this generous again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"You're dismissed. Agent Gibbs, can I speak to you for a moment?"

Gibbs nodded to Tony, and he got up and left.

"What is it, Leon?"

"Keep an eye on him. As his supervisor, I'm holding you responsible for his actions."

"Understood."

"You can go."

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tim was so engrossed in his code, that he didn't notice anyone come up to his desk. It wasn't until he heard a familiar voice, that he stopped what he was doing and looked up.

"Hey, Probie."

"Tony? What are you doing here?"

**TBC...**


	10. Chapter 10

_Note: There is McGiva in this chapter. This will be the last chapter, and I'll end it with a short epilogue. Thanks for reading!_

**Chapter 10**

"Tony, why are you here?" Tim asked.

"I was meeting with Vance, and I thought I'd see if you wanted to grab some breakfast."

"What's your endgame?" Tim asked skeptically.

"I just want to have breakfast with a friend. Is that too much to ask?" Tony shot back.

Tim fell silent. It took him about two seconds after Tony's retort for him to realize he was being an ass.

"I'm sorry. Sure, let's grab some breakfast." Tim sent Roper an e-mail letting him know where he'd be, then grabbed his coat and followed Tony out of the Cyber Unit.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tony drove them to a favorite diner of his, not far from the Yard. They found a booth near the window and made themselves comfortable. A plump waitress made her way to their table.

"What can I start you boys off with?"

"Coffee," they said in unison.

"Coming up," the waitress said with a chuckle.

They sat in silence until the waitress came back with their coffee, and too their breakfast order. Tim gripped his cup, letting the hot beverage warm his cold hands.

"So…"

"So…"

Tony chuckled.

"Well, this is going smoothly…"

"You're the one who wanted to have breakfast, Tony."

"Why are you so against talking to me, Tim? Is it too hard to believe that I might actually want to _fix_ what I've broken here?"

"It's going to take more than a cup of coffee to fix this."

"If you're actually talking to me, it's a start."

Tim rolled his eyes and glanced out the window next to him as he took a sip of his coffee. Their breakfast came, and Tim started eating without a word.

"I've had a lot of time to think about what happened," Tony said as he poured meat hot sauce on his home fries. "I didn't take any time to rationally process what I saw in the gym that night. The only emotion that registered was anger."

"You hit me in the face, Tony. Twice. That goes beyond anger. That borders rage."

"You're right. Apologizing is moot at this point, but I _am_ sorry. I let my feelings for Ziva cloud my thinking. I should have asked you about it privately."

"After all this, I don't think either of us will ever have a chance with Ziva," Tim said with a small smile.

Tony smiled.

"You're right, probably not." He took a bite of his scrambled eggs. "I want you to know that if it ever happens between you and Ziva… I won't stand in your way."

Tim nearly dropped his fork. He looked up at Tony. The look on his face was similar to the one he wore in interrogation. He was completely serious.

"You're serious? You'd be okay with me and Ziva…"

"I can't stop you from seeing each other, no matter what my feelings are about her."

"Neither of us would be comfortable with that relationship, knowing that you're hurting, Tony."

"Probie, are you listening to me? Ziva doesn't open herself up intimately to just anyone. It takes her time to get comfortable with someone. She obviously has feelings for you."

Tim set down his fork and sat back in the booth.

"Oh man… damn it, I really screwed up."

"Don't tell me you told her it didn't mean anything…"

"Not in so many words…"

"Yeah, you definitely screwed up."

"Shit."

"Can I offer you some advice? As a friend?"

Tim nodded, and Tony beamed.

"Okay, here's what you should do…"

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tony dropped Tim off at NCIS before he headed back home. Tim watched him pull away, and headed back into the building. He got into the elevator, but instead of going down to Cyber Crimes, he rode it up to the squad room. When it opened, he stepped out quietly. Gibbs was at his desk, undoubtedly buried in a cold case file. Ziva was busy with a case report as well, he could see.

_Come on, do it… don't be an idiot…_

Tim took a deep breath and made his way to Ziva's desk. She looked up as he approached.

"Hello, Tim."

"Hey, Ziva. How are you?"

"I am well. How is the Cyber Unit?"

"Boring, As much as I like code and all that, looking at it all day isn't that exciting."

"What brings you up here?" she asked.

"I wanted to ask if you'd like to come over to my place tonight, for dinner."

"You want to cook me dinner?" she asked,

"Yeah," he said with a smile. "Just you and me."

"All right. It's a date."

"How about seven?" he said, glancing at Gibbs simultaneously.

"Seven is perfect. I will see you then."

"Great." He looked over at Gibbs, who now had his full attention on them. "I'd better get back to Cyber… Agent Roper is probably wondering why I'm not back yet."

"It was good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Ziva."

Tim walked past Gibbs' desk on the way to the back elevator. Gibbs gave him an approving nod as he passed by.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Ziva could smell dinner she approached the door to Tim's apartment. She hadn't known Tim to cook much, so she was interested to see what he was going to make.

She knocked on the door and he answered quickly.

"Hey! You're early," Tim said, consulting his watch.

"Gibbs let me leave early, so I thought I would come and see if you needed any help with dinner," she said.

"Actually it's almost done. Come on in."

Ziva stepped into the apartment, and held up a bottle of Moscato.

"I brought some wine."

"How did you know Moscato was my favorite wine?" Tim asked.

"I have ways of finding out information," she said with a smile.

"Let's open it up," he said, motioning for her to follow him. As they entered the kitchen, Ziva was able to figure out what she'd been smelling since she came in.

"Chicken French?"

"My mother taught me how to make it before I went to college," he said. "She said I had to learn how to cook real food if I was going to be away from her," he said, smiling at the memory.

"It smells wonderful."

Tim popped the cork on the wine, and got two glasses down from the cupboard. He poured them each a glass, and gave one to Ziva. The oven beeped, and Tim grabbed an oven mitt. "Have a seat at the table. I'll bring dinner out."

Ziva smiled and took her wine back into the main room. Tim had turned his little bistro table into an elegant dining space. He'd put a tablecloth over it, and a small candle was the centerpiece. She had an inkling of what he was trying to do.

Tim came out moments later, carrying a casserole dish with two pieces of chicken French. He brought out a bowl of angel hair pasta, and served the chicken over it.

"Tim, this is absolutely delicious," Ziva said after the first bite of chicken.

"Thanks… it's been a long time since I've made it."

They talked fleetingly about work while they ate. When dinner was over, Tim got up and started to clean the table.

"Leave them," Ziva said, a sultry look in her eyes. "I think we need to talk."

Tim set down the plates.

"I wanted to talk about what happened… " Tim started.

"We have already discussed that. Both of us agreed that it would not happen again."

"What if I want it to happen again?" Tim said before he could stop himself.

"What?"

"I tried to tell myself it was the heat of the moment, that we were just having fun, but it wasn't… not for me…"

Ziva took Tim's hands in hers, and looked into his eyes. The look in them was different.

"What happened between us meant a lot to me," Ziva said. "When you said it didn't mean anything, I was hurt."

"I'm an idiot, Ziva. I should have seen it before. After Tony found out, I wanted to let it go, leave it in the past. I can't do that anymore. I want to be with you, Ziva. I should have told you a long time ago-"

Ziva silenced him with a kiss. It soon became passionate, as Tim put his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. They parted for a moment, and Tim locked eyes with her.

"So I'm forgiven," he said, grinning.

"What do you think?"

Ziva pulled him down to her lips and kissed him again, and he picked her up and carried her to his bedroom, the dinner dishes long forgotten.

**END**


	11. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_Two Weeks Later…_

Tim stepped out of the elevator at the squad room level, carrying his box of personal items. He was grinning from ear to ear. Vance had finally given him the go-ahead to move back to Gibbs' team, and he couldn't wait to get out of Cyber Crimes. He'd been able to figure out that it was Snyder who sent him the picture of Ziva, and who sent the threat. He'd taken this information to Vance, who promptly fired Sid Snyder. After that, Vance decided it was time that Tim go back to Gibbs' team.

Tony looked up as Tim made his way across the bullpen.

"Welcome back to civilization, Probie!"

Tim set the box down on his desk.

"From what I hear, I get to call _you_ Probie for the next six months, _Probie_."

"I will always be the Senior Field Agent, McGoogle," he said. "And I will always get to pull rank on you."

"McGee has not even unpacked his belongings yet, and you two are already bickering?"

They looked up to see Ziva coming down the stairs.

"We're not bickering, right Tim?"

"No bickering here," Tim confirmed, grinning.

"Right," she said as she went to her desk. Tim leaned a bit and caught a peek at her ass as she walked by.

"Ogle her later, McGee," Gibbs said as he walked across the bullpen to his desk, obstructing Tim's view. "We've got a dead sailor. Gear up."

Tim and Ziva picked up their bags. Tony remained in his seat. It had been hard for him to remain there when Gibbs and Ziva had gone out on a call, but he was learning to live with it.

"You coming, DiNozzo?" Gibbs said as he snatched up his own bag.

"Really?"

"You think you can behave?"

"I'll be an angel, Boss."

"Right. Get your gear."

Tony jumped up with his backpack and joined his team in the elevator. Gibbs got in last. He grinned as the elevator doors shut. It was far from perfect, but he finally had his team back.

**END**


End file.
